Motion-picture card



Dec. 27, i949 F. 'voGEs MOTION-PICTURE CARD 4 She'ets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 2, 1946 Dec. 27, 1949 F. vocsES MOTION*PICTURE CARD 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, j1946 Dec. 27, 1949 F. voGEs MOTION-PICTURE CARD 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 2, 1946 Dec. 27, 1949 F. VOGES MOTIOMPICTURE CARD 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 2, 1946 Patented Dec. 27, 1949 MOTION -fPICTURE GARD Frederick Voges, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Advertising Ingenui-ties, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application February 2, 1946, Serial No. .645,153

4 Claims.

This invention relates to motion picture cards for educational and amusement purposes, for the young particularly, and which by a simple controlled operation may be made to portray in sequence the scenes, action and legends or other indicia involved in a story, tale or other serial matter.

The so-called animated picture books, in which parts of the picture are caused to vibrate by a manually operated tag or tongue protruding Vfrom the face of the picture or leaf, or built-up calendars, slide rules or the like, are not in point.

An object of the present invention is the production of a card which in its manipulation in a simple controlled predetermined manner, well within the capability of a child, tells, illustrates and, by the motion and relation of the parts, acts out and portrays the story or theme, in Whole or in part, to which the card relates.

A further object is the provision of a motion picture card having cover sheets and a rotatable sheet between secured together as a unit, win.- dows therein, images and legends thereon whereby when the rotatable element is moved in a controlled predetermined manner certain of said legends and images may be exposed in cO-ol-v dinated relation, the appearance of motion and distance obtained, and motion picture effects produced.

In carrying out the invention, the card may comprise two sides or pages of the same size and preferably square or rectangular in outline and with an action wheel or disc between, an eye.- let or similar device extending centrally through all three and serving to secure all together and.

to act as an axle or pivot for the wheel or disc which may be of a size to permit its rotation without extending beyond the edges of the .card thus formed. Each side of the card thus formed preferably tells its own story by the predetermined and controlled rotation of the disc from the respective sides, but each element may take part in the manipulation and telling of .each story andthe action illustrative thereof. Thus suitable openings or Windows are placed in the stop sheet or leaf to expose in proper sequence the legends, pictures or indicia which may be on the disc and which are brought into view through said windows in the rotation of the disc. But at times, for various reasons, it may be desirable to provide windows or openings in the disc andlocate the indicia or views en the .inside or hack ot the sheet or .leaf on the opposite .side -Of the card, :so that in the rotation of the disc .such matter is seen from the front of the card through the coinciding windows of both the disc and the front cover. And in such case, the story, Whether in rhyme or prose, from the other side oi the card may likewise utilize the windows in the disc and its own illustrations on the inside ofthe other The disc is preferably operatedY and controlled Vin a predetermined man- (now back) cover page.

ner by an arcuate Slot in the cover page at the right-hand side of the. page and adjacent the periphery of the disc beneath, through which the point of a pencil, end Qi operating rod, 0r Sllitf able stylus may be. inserted and conveniently moved therealong preferably by ya downward Stroke. The periphery of the disc is preferably provided with a. circle of notches or openings ad- .ia-cent the periphery and. suitably and equally spaced therealound to travel the course of said slot, The slot then is of a length to bridge two o of the notches or openings .so that a single stroke of the stylus inserted. in the slot and into a hole or notch in the disc. at the top suiiices to turn the disc. the appropriate distance suitably to disclose through the window or windows the desired scene or action. The ends of the slot act as stops. for the stylusv both in inserting the same at the top and in completing the stroke at the bottom, The other side, page, or leaf of the card may have a similar slit cofoperating preferably with the same series of notches or openings in the disc., which would produce the same relative se.- ouential effect as before. though actually turning the disc -in the opposite direction. This is compensated for, however, by making the sequence of indicia on the two sides of the disc in opposite directions. 1n case the illustrations on one side of the card reduire shorter steps or movements of the ydisc than. the other and which are eoual divisions of the longer, the longer arcuate slot may b e slightly closer to the center and the notches .or .openings therefor in the disc be extended further inward, so that in stepping the disc around from either side only the proper notches or openings will appear i-n the slots. If the notches .or openings do not extend to the periphery of the disc. the slots may be reversely arranged, that is, the longer further away from the center than the shorter, by arranging the notches or openings accordingly. If the longer steps or strokes are not multiples of the shorter, then a separate setv of notches or openings land slots may be provided ,for each.

Further objects and advantages will appear fromwhat has been said and-from the descriptiony and claims te fallow in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example but not of limitation, several embodiments of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is one face view of one of the cards;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the cover removed to show the action wheel or disc beneath;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the card on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is the face view of the same card looking at the other side from that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 shows a similar view of the same with the cover removed to show the other side of the disc from that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a similar face View of another card;

Fig. 7 shows the same with the cover removed;

Fig. 8 is a cross-section of this card on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is the other face view of the same card; and

Fig. 10 shows the same with the cover removed.

Referring now to the card shown in Figs. 1 to 5, it may comprise the two cover sheets 2l] land 2l, preferably square or rectangular in outline, and the intermediate action wheel or disc 22, all of light cardboard or other suitable material, the cover sheets being held together edge to edge by the`integral fold 23 or in other desired manner, and the disc 22 being centrally pivoted for rotation between the covers, as by the eyelet 24 or otherwise, which eyelet or pivot may secure all sheets together so that the three make in effect a single card. Y

The action disc 22 may be appropriately rotated while looking at the face of the card by any pointed instrument, such as a pencil, a small rod or any suitable stylusl inserted at the top or upper J end of the arcuate slot 25 having the pivot 24 as a center and into suitable notches 26 in the edge or body of the action disc and then pulling the stylus down to the bottom or lower end of said slot, meanwhile keeping it in the slot and notch. The slot is long enough so that when one notch in the action disc is at the bottom of the slot another notch appear-s at the top. The slot thus acts as a guide at the top for the proper insertion of the stylus in a notch of the disc and at the bottom as a stop for the disc movement in the proper position for bringing a new notch into the right place at the top and the scenes, legends, images and action on the disc or other parts into View to be appropriately` displayed.

Each face of the card tells and shows its own story, and the face of the cover bears scenes, images, legends, etc., appropriate thereto. In each cover, windows or openings are formed therein which by their size, length, location and relation, together with suitableimages, legends and scenes on the action disc, all properly related to each other and to the notches and slot, portray and act the story so told.

Thus the face of the card of Fig. 1 may be said to represent an airplane trip to or into the top of the high mountain shown in thebackground. Thevtrip starts at the hangar 21, with its socktype Wind vane 28, in the foreground, the plane 29 of relatively large size and located on the disc 22 near the outside edge appearing and moving the length of the relatively wide and long window 3U of the cover 2G, and thus appearing close by. It disappears behind the foliage of the tree 3| located nearby and is next seen through a break in the tree foliage moving in the window 32 in cover 20, which by its smaller size of the airplane 29 in circle b of disc 22 gives the appearance of distance to the travel of the plane.

The plane thus travels further away and higher up as it circles around the mountain peak, the same appearing and moving in smaller and smaller sizes (see Fig. 2, circles a to g) through the progressively smaller windows 33 to 3l and disappearing at times behind or into clouds 38, 39 and iii until it finally enters and disappears in far-distant peak of the mountain.

The movement and travel of the plane seen through the windows in the cover correspond to the spaces between notches 2t in the edge oi the disc 22, and the successively smaller sizes of the plane are shown in the circles a to g, each of which, in a single complete rotation of disc, appears but once and in the appropriate window 30, 32-31. The change of the stylus from one notch to the other occurs when the plane has disappeared behind the tree foliage or the clouds. Thus all parts are correlated to give the desired motion effects and appearance and in the proper sequence and positions. The action seen in the card itself, which is unhampered by dotted lines and reference characters, is most realistic and with suitable coloration for the various parts presents a most pleasing appearance. It is most Y,readily and simply operated by a child, has no projecting tabs to be broken off, and is sturdy in construction so that it is unlikely to be injured in use. It may be readily packed, shipped and handled without liability of damage.

Now on the reverse side of the card, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and to carry on the general theme of the series of cards, though any other plan or subject might be illustrated and the scenes on the respective faces of the cards be not related, a scene is shown illustrative of what the children may expect to see inside the mountain when they reach it as a result of their airplane trip. This may be said to be Mother Goose Land, and so in the cavern, with the stalactite ceiling and stalagmite door, the announcer tells and shows them with his magic lantern the diierent things they Will seen and diiierent people they will meet.

The legends-the titles of the rhymes-are appropriately written on the inner circle of this face of the same disc 22 (Fig. 5) and successively appear in the window 4I of the cover sheet 2|, the window being used as a balloon to indicate words spoken by the magic lantern operator. Atl

the same time an appropriate picture illustrative of the title appears in the window 132 at the right. These pictures or images are in the outer circle on disc 22, as shown in Fig. 5, and are co-ordinated with the titles and at different radial distances from the center so as to be shown only at the proper window. Since the two windows are on opposite sides of the pivot, the pictures on the disc 22 are right side up on one side oi the card and the printed legends or titles are right side up on the other side of the pivot.

The disc 22 is rotated, as before described, by a pencil or stylus operating in a short arcuate slot 43 (Fig. 4) engaging in notches in the disc 22. Since the disc 22 in this instance is to be moved at each step only half as far as in the picture on the reverse side of the card, the alter` nate notches 44 are of less depth and half way around the edge between the deeper notches 26, and both the deep and shallow notches are used in rotating the card with the stylus. While there is not on this face of the card the same illusion as to varying distances, lapse of time, etc., as on the reverse side, there is movement of the pictures or images into position from the!l top and out at the bottom, and their movement into view and place as the legends appear line might be shown by similar moving picture cards, and the cards might be made into a book for the entire series, if desired.

Here, looking at Figs. 6-8, there is a construc- Y tion comprising two cover cards 50 and 5| and disc 52 as the plates 20, 2| and disc 22 of Figs.

1 to 5, the covers being folded as at 53 and the disc pivoted to and between the others by the eyelet 54, substantially the same as before.

There are four peripheral notches of the disc, as at 55, and these are overlapped by a long arcuate slot 5B in the cover 50. As will appear later, the picture on the other side requires similar steps, and accordingly, these same notches are used on that side and by a similar arcuate slot though on the other side in the other cover. vThe rhyme here shown is Hey Diddle Diddle and the words of the lines thereof comprise the legends 51 printed successively on the disc in a 'l'.'hese circle or ring as indicated in Fig. 7. legends respectively appear as the disc is rotated in the kupper side of the window 58 below the center of the card.

This window is wider radially than the legends and is used for one of the action pictures, as will later appear, so a circle 59 is drawn on the disc just outside the legends, which in the window gives an appearance of separation of the legends from the remainder of the window.

The scene or images on the face 50 of the card include trees between the trunks of which on either side of the center are vertical elliptical windows 60 and 6| and the moon 62 in the sky above and beyond and showing through a break in the foliage of the trees. A long Window 63 is formed in the cover at the top.

Thus, in the rst position, indicated in Fig. 6, where the rst line of the rhyme appears as a legend in window 58, the cat and fiddle are seen in window 60 on the left side. At the next step of the disc, as the cow legend appears below in window 58, the cat disappears and the cow 65 itself is seen moving through the long window 63 at the top in the act of jumping over the moon 62, which naturally is up in the sky. The next step blanks out the window at the top and brings the laughing dog 61 into the window 5| (seen in dotted lines in Fig. '1). The last step blanks all windows except the lowest, 58, in which the dish is moving and depicted as running away with the spoon. See also 66, Fig". 7.

There is in this picture what might be considered a combination of still and moving pictures, although the side pictures of the cat and dog do move into the scene and out again. The top and bottom pictures, however, move along the length of the windows.

However, it will be noted that the cat and dog images are not on the disc 52 but are on the back or inside of the opposite cover sheet 5I and are exposed in proper sequence and at the right times in the two windows 60 and 6I through a single window 64 in the disc 52, this window 64 being of the same size as windows 60 and El. These windows 60 and 6I are blanked out by the disc 52 except alternately in the rotation of the disc.

On the face of the action disc 52, the images of the cow 65 and of the dish running away with the spoon 66 appear in dierent circles and in proper position. for moving through their respective windows 63 and 58 without being seen at other times or places. The laughing dog picture 61 shows in dotted lines in Fig. in back of the disc 52 at this time.

The display and movements of this picture, therefore, involve images and legends on the inside of the opposite cover, on the face of the disc and windows through the disc and cover in the operation of the card to show its picture.

Turning the card over, the other side,v as seen in Figs. 9 and 10, shows the Jack and Jill rhyme. The same notches 55 in the periphery of lor on the disc 52 are used for its movement and an arcuate slot 10 in the cover 5I, similar to the slot 56 in the other 4cover 50, co-operates therewith in the way heretofore described.

The window 64 in the action wheel or disc 52 is utilized to show images on the inside face of the cover 50, through the horizontal oblong windows 12 and 13, above and below the pivot, in the cover 5I, and the action windows 14, at the left, and 15 and 16, at the right, therein show moving images on the face of the disc. The legends, i. e., the verses of the rhyme, on the disc 52 are shown through the window 11 at the tol).

By this arrangement there is no interference with the picture shown on the reverse side of the card, since the window in the disc is now utilized above and below the pivot, whereas on the other side it is used at the right and left of the center. Moreover, the blank spaces on the inside of the cover above and below the windows 58 and 63, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10,

may be used for the pictures or images thereon, also shown dotted in Fig. 10, which are to be seen through the disc window 64 in its rotation and the two cover windows 12 and 13. Again, the moving picture windows may now be at the left and right sides'of the cover 5| instead of at the top and bottom as in the cover 50, andare better adapted to the subject illustrated, as will be explained, than if at top and bottom as in cover 50, which were better for the picture there portrayed, as, for instance, the cow jumping over the moon.

The legends appearing in the window 11 are suitably related to the images and views shown in the other windows oi the cover. They may vary somewhat in timing, according to the preference of the maker of the cards. Thus, the legends may precede the views slightly, be simultaneously shown or lag somewhat, but however timed, they are related to each other and to the notches and slot 10, to convey the desired impressions.

Thus, with the first movement of the disc by the stylus the first legend appears in the window 11 and Jack and Jill, as at 68, Fig. 10, are shown ascending the hill through the long window 14. At the next step they are at the well up on the hill getting a pail of water. This view is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10 at 18. It is on the inside oi the cover 50 and shows from the front through the window 64 in the disc 52 and the window 12 in the cover. In the next step of the disc Jack is shown falling down in the windows 15 and 16, the former being on a smaller scale and the latter larger, to give the illusion and impression of distance at the start, say at the top of the hill, and a closer approach as he comes down to the bottom with a broken crown. The two gures of Jack are shown at 19 on the disc 52, Fig. 10, the smaller figure being at a radial distance from the center to make it appear in the small window 15 and the larger being farther away so as to show up in the larger Window 16. The movement so portrayed is downhill and approaching.

The next and last step is seen through Window 13 in the cover 5| and window 64 of the disc 52, where, as shown in dotted lines at 80, Fig. 10, on the inside of the back cover 50, Jill came tumbling after.

The foregoing shows the application of the invention and further examples need not be described. Suice it to say the same may be applied to various subjects or topics and for various purposes.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist of Ythis invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service, without eliminating certain features which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be dened and secured by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A motion picture card comprising a cover sheet having a plurality of windows therein, a rotatable sheet at the back of the cover sheet, the Windows in the cover sheet varying in size and radial distance from the center of rotation of the back sheet, and images on the back sheet corresponding in size and radial location to the said windows, whereby in the rotation of the back sheet the images shown successively at the windows have the appearance of moving closer to or farther away from the observer.

2. A motion picture card comprising a cover sheet having a spiral series of windows progressively varying in size, a rotatable sheet in back of the cover sheet, a series of like images on the back sheet corresponding severally to said Windows in varying sizes and locations, the rotation of the back sheet giving the appearance at the windows of the travel of the image to a distant point.

8k 3. A motion picture card comprising two cover sheets and a rotatable sheet between them, means to secure said sheets together as a unit, indicia on said cover sheets and said rotatable sheet, windows in said cover sheets which when said rotatable sheet is rotated predetermined distances expose certain of said indicia in coordinated relation and sequence, certain of said windows and indicia being of predetermined different sizes and locations with respect to the center of rotation of said rotatable sheet and producing the appearance of motion and the illusion of distance variation from the observer of indicia exposed by said windows and thereby to produce a motion picture eiect as said rotary member rotates.

4. A motion picture card comprising two cover sheets and a rotatable sheet between, means to secure said sheets together as a unit, images and indicia on said cover sheets and said rotatable sheet, there being windows in said cover sheets which when said rotatable sheet is rotatedpredetermined distances will expose certain of said indicia and images in co-ordinated relation and sequence, certain of said windows and images being of predetermined different sizes and locations with respect to the center of said rotatable sheet and giving the visual effect of movement of images at variable distances 'from the observer.

FREDERICK VOGES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,177,652 Robertson Apr. 4, 1916 1,453,100 Fulgora Apr. 24, 1923 1,563,090 King Nov. 24, 1925 2,021,817 Tannenberg Nov. 19, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 432,798 Great Britain July 29, 1935 

